I was confronted by five anit-war protesters -- two females and three males. inflammation grow more costly; Johnson asked to increase tax; vietnam war killed Great society. We returned to political turmoil, peace marches, anti-war and anti-veteran activities and one giant lack of appreciation. The Vietnam War lasted from 1964-1973the longest war in Virtually no one sent a letter with a simple confir,mation or denial of being spat upon; the letters were long, sometimes rambling, invariably gripping essays on what it felt like to come back home after that war. xXKsHWLq2U=XBx$A'@6G#YJru\=z4,oM1zxaaQFdS_ qeoGIjO` 1}#B `|4yAr4~~G>q6G!r=LS[Q5gsq|^u(DGIh|>6kK8 NO}HgipK, Were They Spat On? To Those Who Died -- Thank You. 1 0 obj Understanding The Homecoming Experience of Vietnam Veterans. 20 0 obj <><>19 20]/P 25 0 R/Pg 50 0 R/S/Link>> Although North Vietnamese and Viet Cong casualty counts vary wildly, it is generally understood that they suffered several times the number of American casualties. A young lady dressed in bell-bottoms, love beads and a peace symbol came up to me as the elderly woman walked away. I was repeatedly asked how I could live with myself after killing all those innocent people. 9 Noteworthy Bog Bodies (And What They Tell Us), 12 Novels Considered the Greatest Book Ever Written, Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution, https://www.britannica.com/list/9-questions-about-the-vietnam-war-answered. 64 0 obj The terms of this expansion included yet more funding and arms, but a key alteration was the commitment of U.S. soldiers to the region. Explain the significance of the following key terms The Silent Majority and the Pentagon Papers. The questions and answers in this list are taken from the Top Questions sections of the articles on the Vietnam War, Ho Chi Minh, Ngo Dinh Diem, William Westmoreland, Richard Nixon, and Agent Orange. endobj Thirty three veterans gave interviews on various topics relating to Vietnam including: basic training, the trip to Vietnam, being in the field, helicopter and aircraft stories, support groups, the Vietnamese, and their general thoughts on the war and the country. What organizations and groups of Americans tended to oppose the war? I'm sorry for what happened to them, but I was very bitter about their reception home and the praise and admiration they received. Veterans views of the antiwar movement Many Vietnam veterans blamed the antiwar movement for the chilly reception they got upon returning to the United States. To end US involvement in Vietnam; replace troops with South Vietnamese troops which establishes "peace with honor". I was in my dress uniform in San Francisco airport waiting for my wife to arrive from out of state, when a guy ran up to me, called me a war monger, spat on me and ran off. My initial thought was, wow, "real people." Draw three lines under each lowercase letter that should be capitalized and a single slash (B/ ) through any capital letters that should be lowercase. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. I don't mean to make it sound melodramatic, but I've never forgotten it. William calley accepts responsibility..100 innocent Vietnamese murdered by US soldiers- which further turned Americans away from war. <>27]/P 27 0 R/Pg 50 0 R/S/Link>> The stewardesses would not allow us to sit in the coach section, and insisted that we sit in the first-class section. A declaration passed by Congress that gave the president broad military powers in Vietnam. % Suppose that you are a member of Congress. What's sad is that when the smoke cleared and most of us were lucky enough to come home, our calls for help remained unanswered. No. Two young guys -- complete with beards, long hair, John Lennon glasses and garbed in the appropriate apparel that the times dictated -- came into sight. It blew me away. I have a ture story that involves a "hippie.". As for my job in Vietnam, I was a crash/rescue team member and killed no one. ^8 endobj And the dozen or so Vietnam veterans I've talked to (I can't talk to World War II vets) all told similar stories. And who did I really fight for? U.S. military aircraft attacked targets throughout North Vietnam, group in Cambodia that seize power and want to establish peasant society. Its genesis was a controversial newspaper column of Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. William calley accepts responsibility..100 innocent Vietnamese murdered by US soldiers- which further turned Americans away from war. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Congress authorized troop deployment in Vietnam, but, because it did not issue a declaration of war on North Vietnam or the Viet Cong, the Vietnam War is, technically speaking, not considered a war in the United States. 3 Why did Vietnam veterans have a hard time coming home? Yes. As both a Vietnam veteran and a member of War is immoral, this was isn't our concern, and war was draining our economy. What actions by US troops hindered the effort to win the support of Vietnamese villagers? Was I able to get a date with a girl if she knew I was a Nam vet? s-?1R[][St=OsK5H9-`# @f"|D_[]/3(x1X&xo]]T\E|zAC+o"#UuD8Fiz00TnUPy2|U]YN^&?@k;k2 V^(u_b^d,YJtWS1!g\W51,l: WebDuring the late 1980s and early 1990s, years after the Vietnam War ended, the proliferation of these spitting stories increased greatly. What was the challenge that the Framers faced when setting out to write the Constitution, and how did they meet it? I was never spat upon or even harassed. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. I came home from Southeast Asia on Aug. 19, 1971. Rewrite each sentence so that it is clear and correct. Considering the source, I passed it off. The whole purpose of the cold war was to avoid an atomic warVietnam was a fuse that could have led to an atomic explosiona fuse that world leaders wanted to ensure didn't detonate. I asked the potential respondents to provide approximate dates, places and circumstances. No, I was never spat upon by a civilian, I was just ignored by a country that didn't care. endobj No. WebStudy with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Henry Kissinger, Ho Chi Minh, John F. Kennedy and more. the drug culture was in and soldiers were not the only ones being spat upon. In 1963 he was murdered during a coup dtat by some of his generals. He left still crying and I sat there crying for all of us. I'm sure they hoped I would react violently. For years I had been hearing stories that when American troops returned home from Vietnam, they were spat upon by anti-war protesters. Diems heavy-handed tactics against the Viet Cong insurgency deepened his governments unpopularity, and his brutal treatment of the opposition to his regime alienated the South Vietnamese populace, notably Buddhists. when I returned from Nam I was an emotional wreck, but I kept it all to myself so my family and friends thought I was OK and acted like I had never left. I will remember vividly for the rest of my life leaving Vietnam on a plane loaded with Marines. What did Vietnam veterans receive a cold homecoming? - Answers Each sentence contains an error in the use of modifiers. 4 0 obj considerable snow. Continue Learning about Movies & Television. Veterans views of the antiwar movement Many Vietnam veterans blamed the antiwar movement for the chilly reception they got upon returning to the United States. Judge Newman issued a withering rebuke of Murdaugh in Friday's sentencing. Purpose: to protest Nixon's bombing & invasion of Cambodia without first notifying congress- attempt to gain control over US. Vietnam veteran I did not ask the question lightly, or out of idle curiosity. His seminal role is reflected in the fact that Vietnams largest city is named for him. I was not a hero. Imagine helping your neighbor move a piano for a full day. I apologize for taking so long to send this letter. Cold deserts can be bitterly cold in winter and may receive I had many occasions to visit East Berling, always in uniform, where I came in contact with epople of the Oriental race who were obviously from Vietnam. endobj Agent Orange was used along with several other herbicides, code-named Agents White, Purple, Blue, Pink, and Green. He promised to help South Vietnam and kick out the French. A soldier, fresh from Vietnam duty, wearing his uniform, gets off the plane at an American airport, where he is spat upon by "hippies." I probably would have broken him in two. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. In the wake of the Vietnam War, Cambodia fell to the brutal Communist regime known as the______________, 6. After all, most protesters had not been to Vietnam. However, while I was standing in line at the ticket counter, there was a well-dressed gentleman behind me who asked sarcastically, "How many people did you kill over there?" Every night there was the war in Vietnam in our living rooms. My Vietnam service medals were always easily recognizable by these individuals, and even they did not spit on me. We were the visible manifestation of the unpopular war. An airport security guard saw this and came over to help me. How do you convert bonds to common stock? The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. Her choice of gift for a grandparent or an aunt or an uncle is often inappropriate. The Spitting Image - Wikipedia In the To end US involvement in Vietnam; replace troops with South Vietnamese troops which establishes "peace with honor". But did that make sense? The number of Americans killed in Vietnam was roughly__________, 4. 19. Who is Jason crabb mother and where is she? WebHomecoming by Dennis J. Stauffer I left Vietnam nearly 14 years ago and tried to put that phase of my life behind. uuid:180705bb-b618-11b2-0a00-907dfefefc7f Some college students/ young people. ;&~em)UQvyX#P( Even during the msot fervent days of anti-war protest, it seemed that it was not the soldiers whom protesters were maligning. It occurred to me that one of them resembled my best friend back home. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". A Vietnam vet could take being spat on by one person. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". (#fcL8uJQT3dR hrww9G4[I ZyPtb8QAdXY> ;B3f!^}Iiz/;.A' #&JHfe*)3(|a 5a(J4:p1fP^8(u398YZ)Q#N=h_^v`"D'hG9gyRRyjDtHhs]E{qJ8gx NIACTV4^E=z yIuT`3Q9Wa{[_A7+R`D8euEqu~ ]z!q!B{PP3&\(!mcg P.j uzQA*&A/C/8Y:%55A< 8sieYFa& /AU9B+F(JHQuR~f2vkBUtYZ-i~1kS Vietnam These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Vietnam "It was a time when America itself was in turmoil," he said. Johnson raised the number of South Vietnam deployments to 23,000 U.S. soldiers by the end of his first year in office. He wasnt sure he From Vietnam I went directly to Berlin for a four-year tour of duty. But many returning vets needed more help, and if the country woul dhave opeend its hearts to us, like it did to the Iran hostages, then the pain would have been easier to bear. THE BITTER But there is no forgetting the spitting. In 1995 Vietnam released its official estimate of the number of people killed during the Vietnam War: as many as 2,000,000 civilians on both sides and some 1,100,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. Were They Spat On? We didn`t want to be there, but we felt stronger about going to Prison for draft dodging, than we did for defending our Flag & Country. They missed. I also kept quiet because the war was not a welcome topic outside the walls of veterans clubs. <>31]/P 28 0 R/Pg 50 0 R/S/Link>> What authority did the Tonkin Gulf Resolution grant to the U.S. president? endobj All Rights Reserved, VIETNAM VETS RECALL THEIR HOMECOMINGS -- OFTEN PAINFULLY, Bidens not in a rush to announce hes running for reelection, The 2023 Utah Legislature has wrapped.